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Roran
Roran Garrowsson, nicknamed "Stronghammer", was the cousin of both Eragon and Murtagh, as well as the son of Garrow. He was about two years older than Eragon, but they were both so close, however, that they considered each other brothers. However, Roran began to believe that Eragon was responsible for Garrow's death because Eragon left without warning (though Brom left a message). In addition, Roran was thrown into suspicion. History Early history Little was known about Roran's early life. He was born and raised in Carvahall by his father Garrow. His mother died when Roran was young and his only other relatives were his cousins Eragon and Murtagh. (the latter of whom he did not know). Romance Roran had only a small part in the events of the first book. It was revealed that he was in love with Katrina, Sloan's daughter. Roran even said that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. However, Sloan had never liked Garrow nor his son, and would have disapproved of the relationship. Therefore, they kept their love a secret and planned to do so until Roran earned enough money to build a house.Eldest, p.132 This plan never did work out, as Eragon fled Carvahall with Brom and, with Garrow's death, Roran needed to return to Carvahall. In Eldest, it appeared that before Katrina was captured by the Ra'zac, they knew each other while staying in Horst's house. Roran's struggle in the book was managing the exodus of Carvahall in order to save Katrina. In Brisingr, we learned that indeed Katrina was pregnant. This gave cause to speed up their nuptials. Roran asked his cousin Eragon, acting as a Rider and brother, to marry them. They were married amid a frenzy of chaos and activity. They were also given rings by Eragon so that they could locate each other always and call for aid if they needed it. In Inheritance, we find out about Ismira, he and Katrina's baby girl. Job in Therinsford In the Book Early in Eragon, Roran had taken a job in Therinsford working for the miller, Dempton, in order to support Katrina. He did this despite the fact that Eragon disliked his absence. His employment was cut short, however, when he received simultaneous news of his father's murder and the disappearance of his cousin. He returned to Carvahall to mourn his father and stayed with Horst. In the movie Instead of going to Dempton's mill to support Katrina he went to avoid being conscripted by the Empire's army. Battle of Carvahall Some time later, the Ra'zac were dispatched to Carvahall with about thirty soldiers to take Roran hostage. Roran and Baldor spotted the Ra'zac and returned to Carvahall undetected. Roran fled into the Spine as the loyal townspeople claimed he was away on a hunting trip. Over the next few days, the Ra'zac and their soldiers became impatient and started harming the villagers and their property. One of the soldiers threw a pitcher at Quimby and killed him. Another got drunk and set the village's hay barn ablaze. Following this abuse, Horst rallied Roran and several others to drive the Ra'zac out of Carvahall. The villagers initially caught the Ra'zac and soldiers off guard, however, the Ra'zac retaliated minutes later. The Ra'zac and the soldiers killed multiple villagers before retreating. Only two soldiers died in this first battle. One was killed by Roran, and the other was killed by Quimby's son, Nolfavrell. In the aftermath of the first skirmish, the villagers of Carvahall realized that by attacking the Empire's soldiers, they would either be enslaved or killed. Most villagers concluded that surrendering Roran to the Ra'zac would no longer accomplish anything. Others, such as Birgit Quimby's wife, felt Roran was responsible for the appearance of the Ra'zac. The villagers built defenses around Carvahall to protect them in the event of a second attack. During this time, Roran became engaged to Katrina without Sloan's knowledge. The Ra'zac and the soldiers returned, and were repelled by the villagers again. After the second attack on Carvahall, Roran pushed to have the women and children temporarily relocated to Igualda Falls at the base of the Spine. Sloan vehemently disagreed with Roran's plan, but most other villagers supported it. Roran talked Katrina into going there with the other women and children, during with she made him promise, no matter what, to never ask that of her again. As Katrina prepared to leave, Sloan spotted her and tried to keep her from going. Roran came to Katrina's aid and revealed to Sloan that the two of them were engaged. Sloan disapproved of the engagement, and asked Katrina to choose between her father and the man she loved. Katrina told Sloan that she intended to marry Roran. Sloan disowned Katrina and denied her inheritance, then he ran away crying. Kidnapped During the night, Sloan tried to strike a deal with the Ra'zac in order to rid himself of Roran and save the town. Sloan killed the town's nightwatchman and allowed the Ra'zac to attempt to take Roran. Roran woke up to find them suddenly in his room but fought his way free. The Ra'zac decided to kidnap Katrina instead and they fled. Escape Roran decided to take upon the name Stronghammer. He eloquently pleaded for the villagers to see their situation and to leave the Empire and start over with the Varden. He led the villagers on an exodus through the Spine to Teirm. There, Roran learned from Jeod that Eragon was the next Dragon Rider. Jeod supported Roran's quest and decided to accompany the villagers to Surda. With help from Jeod, his sailors, and the villagers, they were able to pirate the Dragon Wing and transport the entire village in one ship. Battle of The Burning Plains Roran joined the Battle of The Burning Plains. During the battle, he snuck behind the Twins and crushed their skulls with his hammer. Nasuada personally thanked Roran for killing them; stated that it helped to turn the tide of the battle. Afterwards, he made Eragon promise him that they would rescue Katrina from the Ra'zac. Assault on Helgrind Early on in Brisingr, Roran accompanied Eragon and Saphira to Helgrind to rescue Katrina. Eragon fought the Ra'zac in the initial fight while Saphira battled the two Lethrblaka. In the battle, the Ra'zac were wounded and forced to retreat into the depths of Helgrind. After Saphira killed the two Lethrblaka, Eragon and Roran went deeper into Helgrind, where they fought the Ra'zac again. This time, with a fury of blows from his hammer, Roran killed one of the Ra'zac. Afterwards, they found Katrina in a cell and rescued her. Roran and Katrina left on Saphira while Eragon stayed behind to finish off the last of the Ra'zac. Marriage After he returned, Roran requested that he and Katrina be married immediately, for the sake of Katrina's honor. Nasuada understood Roran's meaning and allowed the marriage to commence. However, just hours before the wedding took place, Murtagh and Thorn came to the Varden camp. With the help of twelve elven spellcasters and Arya, Saphira, and Eragon managed to best Murtagh and Thorn. Roran and Katrina were married shortly thereafter. Warrior of the Varden After marrying Katrina and training in the Varden, Roran was placed under the command of Martland Redbeard. During this time, Roran became friends with Carn, a magician in the Varden. During a fierce skirmish along a riverbank with the painless soldiers, Martland lost a hand. Roran was then transferred to the command of Edric. Roran disliked Edric for his abrasive personality and micromanagement style. During a battle, Roran and his company faced overwhelming odds, yet the battle was won when Roran employed a different strategy than commanded. This resulted in Roran defeating nearly 200 soldiers (193 to be exact) with hammer and spear. His men hailed him as a hero, but Roran was detained by Edric for his insubordination. When the company returned to the Varden, Nasuada ordered Roran whipped for his disobedience. Roran received 50 lashes. Before the whipping, Jörmundur provided Roran with a piece of leather to bite down on during the ordeal to prevent him from biting his tongue, and afterwards told Katrina that Roran displayed impressive fortitude. (Because Roran requested her not be there, and Katrina stayed in their tent) Afterward, Roran was partially healed by Trianna and Angela. Because Roran was a strong soldier, a skilled tactician in battle, warrior prowess, his relation to Eragon, and his good relationship with his men, Nasuada promoted him and gave him his own command. Varden Commander Despite the immense pain and injury he just suffered, Roran was ordered to lead a force of both Urgals and men against the Empire. His missions were successful, but after one of them, Roran's authority was challenged by an Urgal ram named Yarbog. Roran defeated Yarbog with his bare hands, forcing the Urgal to submit to him as the rightful leader. Roran led the front lines of the Varden in the Battle of Feinster. He learned during the battle that Brom was actually Eragon's father, not Morzan. As mentioned in the excerpt of the first chapter, Into the Breach, Roran survived the Battle of Feinster. He later fought with the Varden in an unidentified city, and was in terrible danger when the front wall of the keep fell outwards towards him. Realizing he could not escape, Roran seemed to accept his fate. With that, the excerpt ends. In a later excerpt it is revealed Roran survived this incident because of his positioning under an archway as the wall collapsed. He was later present during the making of an alliance between the Varden and the werecats. Roran was present in the many battles later, including Belatona and Urû'baen. He is known as the Hero of Aroughs, for he and his army of 800 crushed a force much larger than they are. Roran also confronted the mighty Lord Barst and stopped his rampage. Personal information Physical appearance Roran was older than Eragon but younger than Murtagh. He had shaggy brown hair, gray eyes, and a muscular and sturdy build. During Eldest, he grew a beard to make it more difficult for his enemies to recognize him. He carried a hammer with him almost everywhere, though he occasionally also used a sword, spear, and shield. Powers Roran was initially close to powerless, but became stronger in all aspects as the story progressed. His preferred weapon is a hammer, and with it he became one of the greatest warriors in the land, ever, slaying 193 men in one battle. He also killed one of the deadly Ra'zac himself, with help from Eragon's spells and wards. Roran also has a talent for recognizing telepathy when used upon him. He could sense it when Eragon touched his mind before he started to talk with him, even though he had no training in sensing the minds of others prior to this. When his concentration was perfect, Roran could create a nearly impervious mental barrier by focusing on thoughts of Katrina, and with it he could block out even the strongest magicians. However, his concentration was flawed; his shield would fracture if there were any sort of distractions around him. Roran also expressed an interest in learning magic, which would make him more powerful still. However, despite his efforts, his attempts at magic were futile. Personality Roran was a practical, straightforward, and down-to-earth character. Originally, he was narrow-minded, but became more free thinking as the series progresses. After his farm was razed, he began to think about things more than ever before. Roran has incredible determination and fortitude. He was always willing to go to any lengths for the villagers and his love, Katrina, often rushing into danger regardless of the risks to himself, and enduring the most intense hardships and ordeals (such as being whipped near to death) gladly and without complaint, so long as it advanced his goals. He promised Katrina that he would rebuild his farm by hand to secure his future with her, despite the huge amounts of work it would take. He later commented to Eragon that his determination drove him to lengths ordinary men would not follow. He was also a natural leader, making fiery speeches, convincing large groups of people to rally to his cause, and leading the people of Carvahall across the Spine all the way to Surda to escape Galbatorix's army. This power of oration is not seen in any other character except the dark king himself. He made many controversial and often risky decisions, such as attacking Galbatorix's troops, stealing the Dragon Wing and going against the orders of his superiors in order to accomplish his goals. References de:Roran es:Roran fi:Roran nl:Roran pl:Roran ru:Роран Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Varden Category:Males Category:Carvahall villagers